Glazed Fruit Tart

Note: While there are multiple steps to this recipe, this glazed fruit tart is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for baking and assembly.

Make the Pastry Cream

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Place all but 2 tablespoons of the milk in a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla and warm gently over low heat. Line a baking tray with plastic cling wrap.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the reserved 2 tablespoons of milk and the cornstarch until smooth.

4. Add the egg yolks and caster sugar to the milk-and-cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine.

5. Add a little of the warmed milk to the cornstarch-egg mixture and whisk. Add the remaining warm milk to the bowl and whisk constantly to avoid any egg clumps.

6. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the mixture thickens, or about 6 minutes.

7. After the pastry cream has thickened, pour it onto the plastic-lined baking tray. Cover the cream with more plastic cling wrap to stop a skin from forming. Refrigerate to cool until needed.

Make Shortcrust Dough

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Using a standing mixer or a wooden spoon, cream the butter with the caster sugar until smooth.

3. Add the beaten egg and stir well.

4. Place the sifted flour on a clean work surface. Make a well in the middle and add in the creamed butter-sugar mixture.

5. Using just your fingers and fingertips, gently fold the flour in and bring the dough together.

6. Roll the dough into a large log and divide it into 4 equal portions—or 2 portions depending on how many tarts are you making. Wrap them individually with plastic cling wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Line the Tart Pans

1. Preheat oven to 390 F and lightly grease 4 5-inch or 2 7 to 9-inch tart pans.

2. Place each piece of chilled dough on top of plastic wrap and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, roll in all directions with steady pressure to make a large circle about 1/2-inch thick. Make sure you roll the dough about 4 inches wider than the base of the tart pan. Work quickly so the dough doesn't get soft and become hard to manage.

3. Gently transfer the dough to the tart pan. This can be done by loosely folding the dough over the rolling pin and then positioning it over the tart pan to unfold.

4. Ease the dough into the corners of the pan and use your fingertips to gently press the dough against the sides to fill in the fluting. To trim the overhang, just run your rolling pin over the top of the tin. If there are any holes in the dough, simply take a small piece from the overhang trimmings, moisten it lightly with water and position it over the hole. Press it gently into place. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and tart tins.

5. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of each pastry shell (docking).

6. Blind bake the crusts for 12 to 15 minutes using pie weights on top of parchment paper—use uncooked rice or beans to fill the tarts to the brim if you don't have pie weights. The crusts are ready when the edges pull away from the tin. Remove from oven and remove weights and baking paper. The center of the tart may still appear moist but this is fine. Set aside to cool.

Make the Glaze and Fill the Tarts

1. Gather the glaze ingredients and fresh fruit.

2. Make the apricot glaze by heating apricot jam and water together in a small saucepan. Stir well to melt, or about 3 minutes.

3. Strain and discard any pulp. Place the strained mixture back in the saucepan and heat gently for 5 minutes until thicker. Allow to cool off in a bowl.

4. Clean the strawberries, kiwi fruit, and mango and slice them into small pieces. The raspberries, blueberries and mandarin orange segments can be left whole.

5. Fill each baked tart base with the chilled pastry cream, spreading it in an even layer.

6. Equally divide the fruits over the tarts, covering the surface of each so no pastry cream is visible.

7. Dip a pastry brush into the apricot glaze and lightly brush the surface of the fruit to give an attractive shine.

8. Serve tarts immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.